The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 313: Look Out for Yourself

Chapter 313: Chapter 313: Look Out for Yourself

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She’s a total sucker for good looks, okay? If Song Chongjin weren’t so handsome, would she have accepted that cursed village task?

Don’t you know that liking someone starts with looks, stays for character, and falls for talent?

You look like a lopsided, cracked date, like a joke—how am I supposed to find your charming insides through your appearance?

Please, as a staunch sucker for looks, I wouldn’t even spare a second glance, okay?

It’s only those with handsome faces and long legs who make people want to take another look—even if they’re nothing but straw, one can lament, ’What a beautiful bundle of straw, huh?’?

If it weren’t for Song Chongjin’s good looks, would the girls and young wives from miles around all be delighted with him?

Didn’t the original Wang Yongzhu fall head over heels for him just because he was handsome?

If Song Chongjin were really ugly, dark, short, fat, and covered in pockmarks, along with his crazy mother, not even a fool would like him, right?

Who doesn’t love to look at a beauty!

Watching Wang Yongzhu assert herself without a hint of guilt, Song Chongjin chuckled softly. For some reason, seeing Wang Yongzhu like this made him very happy, extremely happy!

That faint hint of self-disgust and doubt deep in his heart was completely cast aside.

Wang Yongzhu, baffled, watched Song Chongjin. After being spoken about like that, shouldn’t a man be angry?

Shouldn’t he be roaring, ’How can you be such a superficial woman? I misjudged you,’ or something like that?

Instead, he’s grinning like an idiot—is he sick?

Wang Yongzhu, biting into a steamed bun, simply couldn’t bear to look at Song Chongjin’s expression at that moment.

※※※

Night fell.

Wang Yongping toiled through most of the night and finally managed to fill up all the rice fields next to the ditch with water. The two fields farther away would have to wait until the nearby fields were full before the water could be diverted, which couldn’t be rushed.

Old Granny Zhang then sent him upstream.

Old Granny Zhang pointed to the piece of land her daughter had secretly purchased: "This plot was rented by your sister from the Wu Family. The Wu Family said that these dozen or so acres of land in Qilidun were too much trouble to rent out to others now that ours have been bought back, so they just rented it all to your sister. She couldn’t refuse, so she took on the lease, planning to plant something different next year to see how it goes."

"What are you standing there for? Aren’t you going to help? Your sister can’t come back since she’s guarding the water source. Aren’t you, as her brother, supposed to lend a hand? Go now. Once the field is full, go block up the gap so the water doesn’t all run off. Did you hear me?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Yongping didn’t think twice. He quickly nodded in agreement and went off to work in the fields.

This was, after all, rented by his sister, so naturally he couldn’t be careless.

Only then did Old Granny Zhang return home, reassured.

It wasn’t until late at night that Wang Yongping finally came home. After scarfing down a couple of bites of his meal, without even washing up, he just collapsed on the kang bed and began snoring loudly.

No matter how much they pushed, they could not wake him up.

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Wang Laozhu was exhausted last night and today his arms and legs hurt so much that he could barely walk.

Jindou and Jinhoo had rested during the day, and since Wang Yongping had done most of the heavy labor, they were still holding up.

Old Granny Zhang didn’t hesitate to send Wang Yongfu, Jindou, and Jinhoo to guard the fields at night.

The water might have reached their own fields, but that didn’t guarantee someone wouldn’t try to steal it at night. Without someone watching, the water in the fields could all flow away in one night, wasting several days of hard work.

Although Wang Yongfu still couldn’t do heavy work, patrolling and standing guard at night was something he could manage.

The household was so busy this year. In past years, he and Lady Lin would be the ones bustling about, but this year they were short of two main helpers, indeed making it quite difficult for the family.

So when Old Granny Zhang assigned the task, he hastily agreed.

During the daytime it was still manageable, but at night, when it was completely dark, Wang Yongfu led Jindou and Jinhoo to the fields.

There were diligent and cautious families, afraid of water theft, who also had people guarding the ends of their fields. But after fighting over water all day, they were so tired that they would fall asleep right on the field ridges.

After midnight, most people couldn’t stay awake any longer. At first, there were some who chatted idly, but soon all went quiet, and they unwittingly succumbed to sleep.

Although Jindou and Jinhoo, the two brothers, were young, they also sat at the end of the field and couldn’t help but doze off leaning against each other.

It was Wang Yongfu who always had a sense of vigilance. He would rise from time to time to walk around and check things out.

Toward the latter part of the night, even Wang Yongfu began to feel the strain. He yawned, forced himself to stand up, and once again checked the perimeter.

Suddenly, a glint of alertness caught his eye, and he saw a shadowy figure stealthily approaching their end of the field.

"You—" Wang Yongfu was about to shout when he saw the shadow lift its head. In the light of the torch, it was indeed Lady Lin?

Wang Yongfu instantly lowered his voice, "What are you doing here?" he asked, wary as he watched Lady Lin.

Lady Lin rubbed her hands weakly, her demeanor extremely humble, "I was worried about your leg. Your body hasn’t fully recovered, and I feared you might not endure the night patrol. So I thought I’d come to relieve you. Rest assured, as soon as it gets light, I’ll leave."

Wang Yongfu sighed and looked around. Jindou and Jinhoo, the brothers, were sound asleep, and it was silent all around.

"Come with me." Wang Yongfu, not wanting to wake his sons, turned his head and walked toward a distant field ridge, signaling for Lady Lin to follow.

A gleam of light flashed in Lady Lin’s eyes, and she hurriedly followed.

Reaching a tree by the ridge, Wang Yongfu leaned against it to ease the ache in his legs from standing and walking so long. When Lady Lin approached, he said, "I’ve seen everything you’ve done these past days. I know you truly want to change and that you truly cannot return to the Lin Family. But, to speak the truth, it’s me... I... I can no longer trust you. Even if you have changed, every time I see you, I can’t help but remember how heartless you were when you wanted to leave that day. Whenever I think of that, I am filled with such rage I want to kill!"

Lady Lin understood what Wang Yongfu was trying to convey. The light in her eyes dimmed, and she opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but Wang Yongfu cut her off.

"Listen to me! But you’re right, ’For a day’s couple there’s a hundred days’ grace.’ Even though you wronged me, for the sake of Jindou and the other two kids, now that you’re like this, I can’t just ignore you. Otherwise, the ones who will suffer are the three kids. I’m thinking of discussing with my mother and younger sister, and then mentioning it to the Clan Leader, we’ll just set up a shelter nearby for you to have a temporary resting place. Now it’s summer and it’s alright, but come autumn or winter, you surely can’t sleep on a pile of firewood, can you?"

"As for food, there’s me and the three kids. We can manage to save a little from our mouths; we won’t let you starve to death. You, stay in the shack for now. Once you’re a bit recovered, then find a way out for yourself. Whether you decide to remarry or work and support yourself, and maybe, when the kids grow up, get married and set up their own households, you might move in with them for your old age. It’s all up to you."

"We were husband and wife, once expecting to be buried together in the same grave. Now things have come to this; I don’t blame you anymore—just take care of yourself!" After finishing his words, Wang Yongfu turned and walked away.